The present invention relates to a battery connector, and particularly to a battery connector having terminals with adjustable terminal for facilitating cost-effect production with minimum material thereby decreasing manufacturing costs.
Battery connectors are widely used in notebook computers for providing electrical energy power. Conventional battery connectors are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,772,472 and 5,795,181, as well as in Taiwan Patent Application Nos. 84111321 and 85104675.
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional battery connector 6 comprises a dielectric housing 61 defining a plurality of passageways 611 therein, a plurality of terminals 62 received in the corresponding passageways 611, and a pair of retention members 63 for fixing the battery connector 6 to a circuit board (not shown). Each terminal 62 comprises a mating portion 621 for electrically contacting with corresponding battery electrode (not shown), and a connecting leg 622.
Referring also to FIG. 2, the terminals 62 are connected by a carrier strip 620 when being stamped and formed. A single terminal 62 has a total length (a length of the mating portion 621 plus a length of the connecting leg 622, or a length measured from a tip of the mating portion 621 to an end of the connecting leg 622) equal to distance T1. As is well known, the connecting leg 622 is inserted into a through hole of the circuit board and soldered by wave soldering process. The thickness of different circuit board may vary from one another, while the length of the terminal remains unchanged, this may raise a problem if the effective engagement between the leg and the hole it too short to ensure a reliable connection therebetween.
However, in order to achieve a proper length of the connecting legs 622 corresponding to circuit boards of different thickness, the conventional terminals 62 must be modified according different print circuit board. Since adjacent terminals 62 are spaced from each other, the connecting legs 622 of one terminal 62 extend a first distance T1' and can only further extend a limited distance T2' along a direction parallel to the carrier strip 620. Therefore, a new die is required to provide terminals having connection ends of increased length. Furthermore, such terminals formed by the new die are connected by a carrier strip and spaced from each other a new distance different from the original distance. Thus, the reformation of an apparatus for separating the carrier strip from the terminals or other apparatuses used in assembly is required. However, such alterations complicate the manufacturing process and increase costs.